


'cause you're too pretty, and new york city is a jungle out there

by LilacsAndLilies



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, How Do I Tag, Identity Reveal, M/M, New York City, Song Lyrics, Song fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26494219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacsAndLilies/pseuds/LilacsAndLilies
Summary: Harley just wanted to see the city and become someone who belonged there. Instead he almost gets in a knife fight, meets Spider-Man, and gets a date with the boy he thinks is really really cute.
Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker
Comments: 18
Kudos: 134





	'cause you're too pretty, and new york city is a jungle out there

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SnazzyJasz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnazzyJasz/gifts).



> Happy Birthday dear! I hope you have a great day!

_ You say your tribe's from Kentucky _

_ Give you three days if you're lucky _

Harley stepped out into the warm summer air. There was a light breeze blowing over his face as he turned and began to walk down the street. It had been far too long since he had a moment alone like this.

Arrangements had been made for him to start school at Midtown for his Junior year. And now, a week before the school year started, he was finally in NYC and settled. Technically, he had gotten to NYC three days before, but considering that fact that he hadn't really left the tower alone since then, it hadn't felt like more than a vacation. Tony, as well as Tony’s ridiculously cute intern, had shown him around the city, taking him to see the tourist attractions. But it was just that, tourism. Specifically, tourism where he only paid half attention to the sights because he was too busy watching said intern and planning how to ask him out when Tony wasn’t looking. He wanted to know the city, know the place he would be spending the rest of his life in (hopefully). He wanted to know more than the things they made pretty for outsiders, the ways the city faked its beauty.

Rose Hill was small, and they had no one to please. The town was honest in at least that. No one tried to hide the truth of the people and the places. New York, on the other hand, felt like a huge facade. Everyone was trying to be someone they weren't. Even the city itself put on its glowing lights and tried to pretend there wasn't more to it than glamour and money. 

Harley had grown up with the truth. He wanted the truth. He knew he could deal with it. After growing up with fist fights in empty worn down hallways and a house full of broken bottles, he was more than well aware of fractured worlds and hidden addictions. 

_ These Wall Street dogs they can smell ya, smell ya _

_ But in my tent, there is shelter, shelter _

That wasn’t to say the city wasn’t surprising him in its own ways. Even though he hadn’t been out yet, he had already started to see the reality. Tony had dragged him around his company, pulling him into meetings and conversations with the important people. Rose Hill didn’t have tech conglomerates. He wasn’t versed in these background conversations where you shook hands with someone who would tear you alive. He wasn’t used to evil intentions and cut-throat negotiations hidden behind a predatory grin. Tony was the only one keeping him grounded as his head spun trying to follow the double meanings of every word spoken.

Still, that was the big wigs, the 1%. They had their own problems, their own news ready covers with smiles and laughters. That was part of the city, yeah, but it wasn’t all of it. He wanted  _ all _ of it, wanted to know the city intimately, wanted to learn how to be something besides a country boy in a city too big for him. 

_ The lion is creeping, but you will be sleeping _

_ 'Cause you're too pretty, and New York City is a jungle out there _

His feet had been carrying him down the streets as his mind wandered. Somewhere, the bright lights and tall buildings had faded into apartment buildings and rundown shops. He stopped, turning around to get a better look at where he was. He hadn’t met to go too far, but when held in the claws of his own thoughts, his body tended to do things without his permission. 

The sun was slowly setting, the lights casting shadows along the streets as colors filled the sky. He pulled his phone out, well aware that he needed to get home (when had the tower become home?) before night fell. Of course, in the time it took him to get his gps to load up and give him instructions back to the tower, he noticed that his phone was almost out of charge. The battery symbol slowly dwindled and Harley knew there was no way he was getting home before it died. He groaned, putting away the device to save the last few percentages when he felt someone grab at him, pulling him into an alleyway. 

“Hey kid, nice phone. Why don’t you give it to me?” A short man was standing in front of him, his foot shaking. His hands were tucked deep into his jacket pocket. 

Harley instinctively slipped his phone back into his pocket. “And why would I do that?”

The man pulled a hand out of his pocket, revealing a knife. “I don’t want to hurt you kid.” His hand was twitchy, the blade shining in the late evening light. 

Harley didn’t really know what to do. He wasn’t particularly scared, considering the man couldn’t even stay still. He was clearly coming off a high. He wasn’t even holding the knife right. Harley wasn’t exactly a beginner when it came to knife fights. He had seen a few, knew what he needed to do, worst come to worst, but he definitely didn’t want that to happen. Even with the man’s current condition, there was always a chance someone could get hurt.

He glanced around, trying to consider his options when a splash of red and blue passed in front of him. The figure dropped onto the ground, webbing the man’s hands to the wall behind him. “Hey Derek! I thought you were supposed to be in rehab.” 

The man- Derek- scowled at the figure that Harley now recognized as Spider-Man. “I got out.”

Spider-Man frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought you promised me you would try this time.” 

“I did.” He started to whine. “But then my old dealer came up to me and I couldn’t say no to him.”

“Derek…” 

“I know, I’m sorry.” He sounded genuinely remorseful and Harley was shocked by how fast the situation had flipped. Now that he thought about it, it didn’t seem like the man had wanted to mug him in the first place. 

Spider-Man sighed. “You know the drill, the webs will dissolve in an hour. Please try this time Derek.”

“I will.”

Spidey looked at him for another moment before nodding in satisfaction. 

_ You're not from here they can smell ya _

_ But in my tent there is shelter _

Then he turned to Harley, walking both of them closer to the main street, out of hearing range of Derek. “What are you doing here Ha- here?” The hero’s face scrunched up. “It’s dangerous. You shouldn’t be here.” 

“And how would you know that?” Now that the immediate danger had passed, Harley was getting a little more comfortable. He spent plenty of time around Iron Man, it might be nice for him to know what Spider-Man’s deal was. 

“You’re not from around here. It’s clear in everything from your accent to the way you walk. Not to mention the fact that this is Queens. This is my home turf, and I know everyone who calls it home. You’re not one of them.”

“So? Maybe I’m trying to make it my home.” Harley couldn’t help but retort, his words all sharp edges as he spit them out. It’s not like it wasn’t the truth.

The hero’s face softened. “Word of advice. Don’t wander by yourself until you’ve built the thick skin you need to survive this city.”

Harley chuckled. “I think my skin is plenty thick already.” 

The eye of the suit lifted up, and Harley was sure if he could see, the man under the mask was probably raising an eyebrow. It was a little unsettling to see. “You’re still new. You’ll see what I mean soon.”

Harley couldn’t shake the feeling that the voice was familiar. “We’ll see.” The hero in front of him was interesting, different from what he had expected, but also the same. He had the same complex as Tony, the same way of telling him that he needed to stay out, keep himself safe, overprotective. 

Harley had assumed Tony’s overprotectiveness was because he saw Harley like a son, but maybe that was just a hero thing. He felt a little heavier.

_ I will take care of you _

_ So please don't be scared of me _

The hero smiled at him, and Harley shook his head, attempting to ignore the negative thoughts trying to break into his head. He smiled back, but before he could turn to walk home, the hero stepped in front of him again. “Mind if I swing you home?”

Harley froze, blinking rapidly at Spidey. “Uh…”

If the mask wasn’t already red, Harley would have guessed the hero was blushing. “It was just because it’s gotten dark, and as I said before, it’s clear you’re not from around here. I would hate for you to get hurt again.”

The words came rushing out of the other boy’s mouth (and it was definitely a boy, no grown man would have a voice that high) in a ramble that felt comfortable. Harley wanted to argue, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he didn’t really know how to get home. He could call Tony, but that would be a little awkward to do so now, in front of this hero that Tony spoke so fondly of. Besides, maybe spending time with Spider-Man would help him figure out the city a little better. Who better to ask that the city’s personal mascot?

Harley was nothing if not difficult, and even though it only took him a few seconds to make his decision, he couldn’t be seen doing anything but putting up a fight. “Don’t you have a city to protect?” 

Spidey grinned. “Part of my job is helping lost and helpless people get home.”

Harley elbowed the hero sharply, a self satisfied smirk growing on his face as Spidey winced, pulling his arm in. “I sure hope ya ain’t suggesting I’m the second.”

“Now why would I do that?” Spidey feigned innocence, holding out his hand.

Harley ignored the question. “Fine. But no swinging.” He looked up, a little terrified by the heights that swinging would involve. “We can walk.” 

Spidey frowned but did as Harley said, walking the rest of the way back onto the street. True to New York City, none of the people around batted an eyelash at the red and blue clad figure walking on the streets beside them, leading Harley through the masses. As they walked, Harley began to think. The rambling, the voice, the words, they all sounded so familiar. It was bothering Harley that he couldn’t figure it out. Did he know Spider-Man? How would he? He barely knew anyone in the city in general. The only people he had met were through Tony. He hadn’t really met any other teens beside’s the man’s intern. Peter. Peter, who was really cute and really nice and helped Harley around. Peter, whose voice sounded honey sweet and a little bit like the hero in front of him. His eyes grew wide. No way…

Harley wasn’t going to deny a growing crush on the boy. He had maybe paid a little too much attention to the brunette’s voice. But that didn’t mean it was the same. He was probably just imagining it. There was no way that sweet Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Not even if they both knew Tony Stark and Peter worked on Spider-Man’s tech and Peter had really legit abs (not that he felt them up, it’s just that he fell on Peter while they were on the boat to the Statue of Liberty and that landing was rock hard) and wow… the reasons not to believe this were slowly dwindling.

Harley shook his head. Spider-Man had a secret identity for a reason. He didn’t need to worry about this. Not even if he really wanted to ask out Peter and this was his chance away from Tony. He could wait until school started, it was fine.

_ The lion is creeping, but you will be sleeping _

_ 'Cause you're too pretty, and New York City is a jungle out there _

The hero led them both down the streets, continuing in a path that seemed vaguely familiar. Now that Harley thought about it, he never told the hero where exactly “home” was. Peter would know… No. Harley pushed off the thought again. “Do you know where you’re going?”

Spidey scoffed. “Of course I do. I know my way around the city, unlike you.” He threw a pointed look at the blond.

“I know that, but do you know  _ where _ you’re taking me?” 

Spidey froze. “Uh. I was just leading you out of Queens, following the direction you probably took. Was gonna ask you for a more specific destination later.” 

_ Don’t think it Harley. Don’t think the thing you know you’re definitely thinking about. _ He scolded himself. “I live at Stark Tower.” 

Spidey grinned in response. “I definitely know how to get there.” 

That wasn’t odd. Obviously Spidey knew where the tower was. The lack of reaction about a teenager living there though… Maybe he just didn’t want to pry, maybe he was internally wondering about it? Or maybe it was because Spidey already knew.

_ Stop! _ Harley sighed at himself. He had a purpose here, he wanted to ask Pe- Spidey about the city. Spidey’s identity was not his concern. "Tell me about New York City. I want to know what it's like."

Spidey, of course, didn't need to be asked twice. His face softened as he looked at Harley and launched into a ramble. He understood the demand perfectly and started mentioning all the things that only born and brought up New Yorkers would know. 

_ Listen close _

_ These models don't mean soda when they're offering coke _

_ There's quicksand in this night life, it will swallow you whole _

Talking to P- Spidey was  _ fun _ . Listening to him rant about various supervillains and ramble about the city streets (the statements occasionally punctuated by advice and warnings) was exciting and easy and Harley was finding it harder to pretend he didn't care about the person under the mask. 

At some point, the conversation had shifted to slang, as prompted by Harley saying something stupid from the south that he couldn’t even remember anymore because he was too focused on Spidey’s face. The hero was going on about soda? Or maybe it was something else, he didn’t realize notice anymore because all he could think about was how cute the rambling sounded. A quick glance up confirmed that they were back in midtown, Stark Tower looming close above them. His resolve not to ask questions or make a move was dwindling even faster. If he was gonna do something it had to be now.

“The Tower is in the middle of a ton of companies and other high level stuff so you won’t find anything shady nearby-” Harley tugged the hero into a nearby alley, cutting off his sentence. “What was that for?” He sounded offended, which was understandable.

Harley didn’t really know how to bring it up. How should he ask something like this? “Peter?”

Spidey froze. “Who’s Peter?” The question was weak, a clear attempt at evasion.

“Peter. I know it’s you.” 

Peter squeezed his eyes shut. “How?” 

“Your voice.” And a lot of other things he wasn’t about to admit because he was still trying to play it cool.

“Oh.” Peter’s voice was a little breathy, the realization just setting in. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

“I promise not to.” The sounds of the city were dull in the background, the sun almost completely gone. In the dim alley Harley could barely see Peter. For some reason, the lack of visibility gave him more courage. He wouldn’t know how the hero responded. “Hey, so uh, I was waiting to ask you something when Tony wasn’t around, and now seems like a good time.”

Peter still looked a little panicked, and Harley realized asking a question like this right after dropping that he knew Spider-Man’s secret identity was kind of a bad idea. It was too late to take it back now though. “What is it?” Peter looked a little jittery and confused, staring at Harley as if trying to decide whether Harley would keep his secret or not.

“I uh, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date?” Harley tried to sound more confident than he felt, which was to say, not at all. “It’s totally fine if you don’t want to by the way. I don’t even know if you like boys or-”

“What.” Peter stopped Harley from launching into a ramble. The big black eyes of his suit were blinking rapidly and Harley almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous this situation was. Peter took a glance around to make sure they were alone before lifting up a hand and pulling off the mask.

Harley drew a sharp breath at the sudden view of Peter’s brown curls. He looked into the other boy’s warm brown eyes and repeated himself. “I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date.”

“I- uh-” Peter’s shock shifted into a soft smile. “I would love to.” 

Harley let out a sigh of relief, a grin growing on his face to match the one on Peter’s. “Great.”

“Great.” Peter just repeated after him. The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking out into laughter. 

_ You sound so eff'ing cute when you ask me, "What is blow?" _

_ Singing New York city is a jungle out there _

Peter pulled the mask back over his face. “Let’s get you home safe then. Can’t let you get hurt by the big bad city before our date,” He teased, a shot of confidence filling him the moment he pulled on the mask again.

They moved back into the street, and with the topic of the day off his head Harley went back to pestering Peter with questions about the city. Peter, of course, happily answered all of them, and even thought he was nowhere near close to feeling like he belonged in the city just yet, he knew he’d have Peter around to take care of him until he did. 

_ I will take care of you, so please don't be scared of me, yes love _

_ The lion is creeping but you will be sleeping, so _

_ (Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one) _

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me @lilacsandlilies4 on tumblr!


End file.
